Sky's Angels: Angel Squadron
by Glensather
Summary: In the year 2011 A.D, the Freelance Alliance continues its fight against the Slaves of Ouroboros...
1. Sealancers::Avenger

_In the year 2007AD, a group of extremely talented pilots made their first sorties against an organization determined to destroy them along with all of Erusia. These pilots, known officially as the 7th Combined Squadron Unit and unofficially as the Freelance Alliance, began an invisible war that began in early March and lasted until the autumn of that same year. These units – The 145th "Temnota" Tactical Fighter Squadron, the 9th "Air Ixiom" Fighter/Bomber Wing, the VF-2 "Thanatos" Special Forces Unit, the famous 118th "Mobius" Task Force Squadron, and finally the VFA-23/25X "Barracuda" Naval Air Arm – fought against an enemy that became to be known as the Slaves of Ouroboros. ___

_The Slaves of Ouroboros were unlike anything ever faced before. They almost always used unmanned jets to combat the Freelance Alliance. These jets were first encountered in Operation Perimeter, and had since been seen in combat engagements with the FA. These "Aura" fighters dealt heavy blows to the FA; most prominent of these being the complete annihilation of the FA navy. ___

_After a series of engagements, the Freelance Alliance eventually found and attacked the SO forward base. It was a long and deadly battle; many good men died, and though in the end the Tempest, the SO super-jet, was heavily damaged, and their ace, Mark Galanodel, was defeated, it was a Pyrrhic victory at best. Many good men had died in that great battle in the sky that day, and their names would never be forgotten. ___

_At least… they would never be forgotten by me…_  
"At least… they would never be forgotten by me…"

**Exile Studios Presents**

"Primary lock bolts, released!"   
"Secondary lock bolts, released!"

From the depths of the hangar, it began to awake.

"Tertiary lock bolts, released! Begin the activation algorithms!"

A great steel behemoth, released finally from its prison.

"Primary reactor online!"  
"Secondary reactor online!"  
"Rudders active!"  
"Computers active!"

In the hangar, pinpoints of light began to illuminate the shadows.

"Catapult 1, active!"  
"Catapult 2, active!"  
"Put power into the engines!"  
"Power into the engines, roger!"

**In Conjunction with Freelance Productions**

"Cut off the anchor cords!"  
"Anchor cords severed, roger!"  
"…Bring her out!"

Slowly, the great ship began to pull out of the hangar designed for it. Unlike most ships of its kind, its modified appearance was obvious.

"_FAS Sealance_ launching from port!"  
"Move away, guys; give us some room!"

**Project ACES: "To Live Free and Fly Again"**

The modified Enterprise-class Super Carrier known as the FAS Sealance pulled out of port slowly, it's heading directly out, where multiple gray spots of steel on the horizon signified the presence of the rest of the Sealancer battle group.

On the front of the catapult deck, his feet hanging on the edge, a man stood. His gray eyes stared out into the ocean as he leaned on a black and red-handled cane in his left hand. The cold winter wind of the ocean tugged at the long jacket pulled around him, causing it to billow out behind him along with his long, straight hair.

Glen Galanodel let one word echo from his lips.

"Sealancers…"  
---

**Episode: 00 ****  
****---Sealancers ******

**--- ******

**The Year 2010 A.D. ****  
****December 10th**

The dark room that was the office of Glen Galanodel was an unnerving place to be for all but the said officer. The walls were adorned with pictures of far off places, of jets flying in formation, and, behind the pilot's desk, a poster for the Freelance Alliance: an F-4 Phantom with Bronze Gate One below and behind it, the red-and-blue FA insignia placed on both the fighter and prominently placed on the top right of the poster.

Jack David nervously paced in the room, flitting from one cabinet to the other and admiring what he saw there. On one table, a perfectly balanced brown-hilted katana rested in its sheath, held up on a stand upside-down in the fashion of samurai of days long gone. Next to it, a model of an F-14D Super Tomcat rested, painstakingly hand-built out of both plastic model parts, the aluminum of actual jets, and then detailed with the old look of the Barracuda Navy.

On another table…

"What's this?" Jack wondered, holding up an old picture frame. In the picture were two boys, both of them smiling. One had short blond hair and blue eyes while the other had brown hair and green eyes. Both of them had set two jets at their feet; an F-4G Phantom II and an F/A-18C Hornet. Jack noted the facial features of both boys, neither of them older than ten. Something about the blond-haired boy drew Jack's eyes to him, something familiar…

"Prying into other's lives is not admirable, Master Chief Petty Officer," came a voice from behind. Jack whirled around and hid the picture behind his back, making something akin to an "eep" sound as he did so. Standing in the door's light, Glen leaned heavily on a cane, watching Jack through his gray eyes, before limping around and sitting down at his desk. "Have a seat, Officer David," It wasn't a request.

"Yes, sir," Jack replied, sitting in the cold and hard seat placed opposite the table to Glen. He tapped his foot nervously as silence fell over the two, Glen filling out a report for Erick. Jack had brought the picture from behind him and again stared at it. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Go for it,"   
"Who are these kids? Are they yours?" Glen paused in his writing for half a second before resuming.

"They are… old friends, from long ago,"  
"The green-eyed one looks familiar,"   
"You've never seen him before,"  
"Oh…"

Glen looked up at the nervous pilot before sighing and putting away the paperwork. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, cradling his hands in front of his face. He watched Jack over his hands before speaking.

"That's not why you asked for me, though, is it?"  
"…no, sir," Jack responded honestly. "I was going to ask you about… Operation Killswitch," the pilot flinched and expected an angered retort, but Glen's only visible movement was a shifting of his body as he lowered his head. 

"Operation Killswitch was a disaster, Chief," Glen said, his voice lowered. "I would advise you not to remind me of it," 

"But sir," Jack pressed. "I want to know what it was like from your view. When Sempai appeared, I…" he paused, looking for the right words. "I remembered the fight against the Tempest, and remembered how you did then. Why was it so different this time, sir?" He almost dropped the picture, his hands fumbling so badly it was sad.

"I told you not to speak of it, Jack," Glen repeated, his voice lowered to a dangerous level, his eyes smoldering with fire. "I mean it this time,"

"…I apologize, sir," Jack mumbled, his head lowered. Glen watched him for a second more before lowering his hands and reaching for his pen; a black and gold object tipped with a flag Jack couldn't remember off the top of his head. "Forgive me," Looking up, Glen was waving him off. 

"The Avenger's first flight begins soon, Jack," he told him absently. "I would suggest you be there. This is also the maiden flight of a new Navy flight," he paused. "Ghostriders will be in the air, as you know… I also want you in the sky,"

"Sir?"   
"Just as a precaution, Jack," Glen explained. "Twelve fighters are better than eleven, and this time we're well-equipped. Just be in the skies above when my jet launches,"

"Yes, sir," With that, Jack stood, saluted, and turned about-face. He pushed the chair back toward the desk and set the picture down on its original resting place before walking out of the door, closing it softly behind him. Glen watched him go before resuming his work on his report. The desk lamp cast a soft glow on the paper, but Glen found himself distracted. His gray eyes focused on the cane to his right; it helped him walk, like any other, but it was a sad reminder of Operation Killswitch. Glen sighed at the thought.

"God Damnit," he muttered, switching off the lamp and grabbing his cane. Limping to the door, Glen opened the door and shut it, locking it with his keypad number and cardkey.

And the black-and-gold pen, capped with Belka's flag, fell from its resting place on the table to the floor.

-

Walking down the halls and decks of the Sealance was a bit different from the smaller Urd that Glen had been accustomed to before it had been destroyed. Much of this ship was different from her _Enterprise_-class counterparts in the Erusian and Osean waters, from the outer hull to the inner workings of the vessel. As he passed by the hall that led toward one of many hangars, Glen turned to stare down it. He saw at the very end of the hall, past some navy officers, Jack's form slip through a door. Glen stared after him for a second before turning back and continuing his trek down the hall.

Officers and crew alike, even some of the new pilots, gave their Captain (though in truth he was a Rear Admiral, Upper Half, he was still referred to as "Captain" or "Kanchou") a wide berth. He appeared indifferent to the voices that whispered around him and the space he was given, but the truth was that Glen was both embarrassed and slightly annoyed at the thought of people reacting the way they did. Even Jack, the Thanatos transfer, acted frightened and nervous just around the Captain.

A set of stairs leading downward appeared off to Glen's right, which led down toward Engineering. Unlike most carriers, the lower three or four of the _Sealance's_ fifteen or so decks had been converted to a modified version of the standard nuclear power plant, along with a complex system of something that could only be described as lateral and reverse thrusters for a carrier. The props of the carrier had been modified to be something akin to a submarine's; they were faster and quieter, but in turn they took more power. The jets rigged onto the side of the lower carrier decks was designed to rapidly move the ship in one direction sideways, allowing it to keep its heading. The forward jets were made to give the Sealance a rapid stop.

The biggest innovation - and one personally suggested by Glen himself – was that the lower deck could be run effectively by a skeleton crew of men and women. Using some of the technology found in modern-day _Nimitz_-class ships and some of the experimental _X_-class carriers in development, advanced computers ran most of lower decks, reducing crew necessity and reliance. A crew of 100 was all that was needed to run the lower decks, and even without those the ship could run at 60 effectiveness.

Glen stared down toward the lower decks before turning about and heading down the deck he was on, known as Deck 11 by the crew. This deck composed of the offices and rooms of the ship's officers. Anyone with a rank of Chief Petty Officer or above had their own personal room to use – another innovation made by the modified ship, as the reduced crew meant that there was more room for individual rooms. As Glen peered down the narrow deck corridor, he watched the faces of the men and women.

But there were those others there.

Rubbing his eyes, Glen washed away the ghosts of dead crewmen as he found a flight of stairs that led upward. Holding his cane to his side, he used the railings as support, making his way up to the new Deck 10. Like the old Barracuda carriers, Deck 10 was a special place for the flight crews and carrier crew. It was essentially a glorified mess hall, situated between the officer deck and crew bunks. Even now, people were running around between the ten or so large rooms of the deck, which, although only half as big as the other decks (the rest was used for storage), seemed the biggest. 

Glen ran a hand down one of the walls as he limped toward the other side, cane propping him up as he leaned on both it and the wall. The hustle and bustle of crewmen as they ran about brought back fond memories of times past, and if Glen closed his eyes he could feel the jostle of his old comrades, ignoring his dark demeanor and trying to convince the then-Lieutenant to a drink. _"How my old policies were notoriously lax."_ Glen mused as he opened his eyes, their gray orbs taking in the crew. A flashback of his old crew screamed before the pilot's eyes, and again he had to shake it off.

Instead, he looked at the new crew of the new Navy. People waved cheerily to each other and walked from place to place in droves. Officers and crew alike played on X360s and PS3s situated along the back wall, flying futuristic jets and using the Force while at the same time hurling plasma grenades and clashing steel. A crowd gathered behind the gamers both cheered on their favorites and eagerly anticipated their turn.

Glen had personally never found interest in any kind of games, and so passed them up, though he did note the reaction timing some of them had when it came to game mechanics; a narrowly dodged missile here, a Force-powered leap there, and a well-aimed SPNKR rocket were the orders of the day. The crew wasn't alcohol-fueled as the old ones, instead finding a way to pass the time through gaming… and flight maneuvering.

Looking about, the pilot noted some faces that he recognized from the old Barracuda; survivors from the carrier that launched the three jets toward Thanatos. He nodded at them, and they in turn nodded back. It was something curt and solemn, a brink of sanity among the cheering of eager young men and women from around the world, chosen to be in the greatest Navy of all time… or so the ads said.

Glen glanced back at the crew before turning and limping out toward a flight of stairs that would take him to the launch deck. Gripping one hand on his cane and the other on the railing, he stared up the decks. Above him, the next corridor beckoned. Sighing with pain, he made his way up the stairs to the next deck.

-

A popular misconception about ship decks is their arrangement. Since designers deemed that a 1000 foot long deck would probably be unstable and ridiculous, the decks are arranged in a side-to-side pattern, organized by usefulness. These decks are in turn modified by the nature of the _Sealance._ These decks are not solid all the way across; elevators, vent shafts, and gun emplacements dot these decks and provide intrusions.

The top three decks, which run under the launch deck and take up the entire top layer of the ship. Deck 1 was the preparation deck at the aft of the ship. These had the multiple locker rooms that both pilots and crewmen changed in. Deck 2 was under the island of the carrier, and functioned as an extension of the bridge itself. Deck 3 was the hospital and sick bay of the ship; situated near the top and forward third of the ship, it was easily accessible, and under the thicker armor of the catapults was harder to damage.

Decks 4 through 8 were also arranged similarly, with 4, 5, and 6 in sequence from aft to forward of the ship. These consisted of barracks for the crew of the ship, which includes basics for life, not just bunks. Deck 7 and 8 consisted of third-shift crew, who slept during the day and worked during the night. Deck 9, situated all the way on the opposite end of the ship from the hangar, is where the two flight wings of the Freelance Alliance rested, along with extra bunks for any visitors. Accompanying them were various other squadrons; E-2Cs, S-3 Vikings, and so forth.

Deck 10, situated under decks 2, 5, and 8, is one of the largest decks, going two-thirds the length of the ship – meaning that, while our Kanchou was walking, he only maneuvered a small portion of the deck itself. This deck is the mess hall and recreation room of the vessel; it's a big resting place. Deck 11, under the forward third, is the last habitable space of the vessel, consisting of officers' quarters.

Everything else is taken up by the refitted _Enterprise_-class vessel's components. Nuclear reactors, storage, and of course, the hangars of the very jets in which the ships of the Storm Fighters and Ghostriders rested. 

It was here, from an entrance through Deck 7, that Glen Galanodel looked down into the hangar. The vast area of the ship he lived on was filled with ten jets, each one with the new color scheme of the Sealancers, along with a couple of variants. The original Ghostriders had been replaced with a new group of rookies, since all the rest had died in the Barracuda disaster. The jets were a dark gray body with a lighter gray color on the wings. The trim of the jet was a stripe of blood red, running down the side of a fighter's fuselage. Behind every jet's canopy, two violent triangles, back to back, were placed.

By contrast, the much dimmer shade of color the second flight of the Sealancers made even the colors of the Ghostriders seem bright. The jets of the Storm Riders were black as coal with a stripe of blood red, with Thanatos' jets merely matching this color. Also, unlike the Ghostriders clear canopies, these seemed to be a gold color, though no reflection returned to the viewer. It was as if it were a hole straight into the cockpit rather than a canopy.

Glen's eyes traced the hangar until it lay on a particular F-14. Painted in a mix of black, white, and red, it was both noticeable and blended in with the rest of the jets in the hangar. It sat on one of the deck elevators that would take it to the top of the carrier; the elevator itself was half-raised, giving the Tomcat a lordly appearance over the others. The jet by all appearances was a mix of Ghostrider and Storm Fighter; the jet had a black angular body, and the wings were black until the halfway point, where they merged with the white seamlessly. The sides of the fighter were stained with red paint at the back of the white nose, and faded into the black. The tail had a special design on it; the Wolf of the Storm Fighters. The jet itself was also taller, longer, and wider than most, giving it a super sized appearance.

More intriguing than the paint job, however, was the design. Situated in between the two tails was something akin to a hump that blended into the jet; closer inspection revealed a third engine nozzle on the back of the hump. Closer to the front, halfway down the wings where the black and white merged, two gun pods peered out like extra pylons. On the pylons themselves, AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles rested, black as the jet themselves.

Glen watched as one of the pilots, Jack, walked up to the jet and climbed the ladder next to it, opened the black-glass canopy, and sat inside. A mechanic climbed it behind him and helped the young PO work some of the systems; a few pre-launch checks on the jet's maiden flight. Glen watched silently, and nodded acknowledgement when Jack's eyes met his, causing the PO to wave fanatically.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the hangar, the Ghostriders' jets were also being prepped for launch; already a few were loaded onto the elevators to the deck. The pilots were confused; they were to launch in the event that something happened with Glen's fighter, though they didn't know what to do in that situation. When confronted, Glen said nothing only that his orders stood: in the event that something bad happens (which was partially why Jack was going into the sky as well; to help judge "something bad"), shoot down the jet with no remorse.

The entire ship was on full alert and readying for the takeoff of Glen and his fighter. The pilot watched the gatherings below, and as two fighters were lifted to the top deck, he walked around to the other side of the hangar. He swung on a ladder pole before landing his feet on one of the rungs and began to rapidly descend. As he hit the bottom, however, he landed on his hurt leg. Pain shot through his body, and it was all Glen could do to not double over in pain as he leaned on his cane toward the jet.

Jack waved from below to him. The trepidation he had felt from earlier while being in Glen's office had faded; in fact, he felt wonderful now. Though he loved working on his beloved JSF, there was nothing like working on the custom controls of Glen's new fighter. As the so-called "Beta tester" of the jet's controls, Jack had made sure that controlling the jet and all its newfound abilities would be simple to the touch. Though he could never fly it himself – the jet was too different from any he had encountered before – he was certain that the test run would prove successful.

"Sir, all checks are complete!" he shouted from the cockpit seat. He stood and flipped out of the jet, landing clumsily on his feet. "I've recalibrated the left rudder controls to be easier on your leg, but you'll have to deal with less left yaw, among other problems. I've also set a max limit on the components slaved to your HUD; there's no since in breaking parts on the maiden voyage," Glen nodded consent.

"Very good," he replied. He walked up to the Master Chief, then past him. He gripped one of the rope ladder rungs and looked back at the officer. "Hurry up and get your bird in the air; we'll need the air cover," believing the conversation over, he began to climb up the ladder. However, Jack flinched and raised his head.

"Sir!" Glen stopped. "Sir… just what are you afraid of?"

"…The wrath of those…" Glen whispered. "Of those…" turning his head toward the cockpit, he climbed up the ladder and jumped into the pilot's seat. He looked over to his side and nodded at a nearby sailor. The enlisted man snapped to attention and shouted a "Ryoukai!" before turning and giving the command to raise the elevator.

Glen finished the pre-flight checks before flipping the necessary switches to turn on the jet. As the elevator began its slow grind upwards, the turbines in the back of the jet turned, and slowly it came to life. A hundred lights flickered before coming on and casting a blue/green hue onto the Navy leader's face. The flight stick in the middle jerked around a second while computer screens switched on, and a series of binary codes flashed across them before stopping suddenly with their necessary info – settings, speeds, and whatnot.

"Clearing pressure!" shouted a comm. officer as Glen put on his flight helmet; a different version of the standard, as instead of coming out tightly against his head around the front, a point jutted out and down, like a Hawk's beak, toward the bridge of his nose. "70, 80, 90! Ready the primary catapult!" 

Glen glimpsed the electromagnetic catapult that ran its way across where the steam catapults once rested. They crackled with energy before shooting two Hornets into the air. He watched a second and listened to the radio chatter.

"Charging primary catapult! 80, 90, 100! Move her toward the back!" Glen was almost led by the nose as his jet moved toward the catapult where his jet was to be launched. Two men scattered while a third directed him toward the proper launch point. Pushing a button in concert with strapping himself in, the black canopy closed automatically and he locked the straps in place. His vision only slightly obscured, Glen reached to the side and pulled a small cord out of his seat. He looked at the cable before inserting it into the slot on his helmet. 

A green holographic screen came down over Glen's eyes like a visor. They flickered before bringing up a HUD that was similar to one used by a conventional jet, but moved with Glen instead; slaved to his helmet, the HUD gave constant up-to-date information. Not only was there speed, height, and heading graphs, but the Angle-of-Attack, hit-location display, missiles remaining, rounds remaining, current mode of attack, gun piper, radio transmissions, and many other displays that had to be accessed by voice command; lesser pilots would have crumbled.

The HUD quickly ran through each check until stopping to flash words in red.

**SYSTEM XEROS HEADS-UP DISPLAY ACTIVE**

Glen opened a channel.

"Storm Wizard here," he said. "The F-14X Avenger is ready to launch."

-

**Sky's Angels: Angel Squadron ****  
****Episode:00 – Avenger**

- 

"Ready to go!"

A crackle of energy shot down the catapult, and a split second later the Avenger was in the air. Glen shot out at almost 1000kp/h as his three thrusters came online, pushing the jet beyond the speed of sound. He twisted the stick right and, with vision clear as day, looked to the Sealance to watch two jets prepare for launch. He also noted the two SH-60 Seahawks as they geared to launch. On external pylons, pods were mounted and loaded with special MQ-3 Challenger Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

"Sir, we have a special course set up for you," reported one of the Ghostriders. "The island will relay to you a set of coordinates that will take you through a nearby chain of the Twinkle Islands and put you within view of Bronze Gate One near the halfway mark. The course is a series of twists and turns on the first half before becoming a straight shot back toward the fleet,"

"Ryoukai," replied the calm pilot. "Give me the coordinates,"

"Yes, sir,"

A fraction of a second later, a set of blue rings appeared on the HUD. Pushing his throttle up, Glen twisted the large fighter into a loose roll that eased the heading into the first ring. 

"Oh, by the way, sir, we forgot to mention something," continued the Ghostrider.  
"…"  
"Um… Erick has sent over Angel Squadron to shoot at you… with live rounds,"  
"…very well," a shrill beeping sound echoed in Glen's right ear. His HUD radar reported four contacts; enemies. He twisted to look toward Bronze Gate One and activated his radar. As he cleared the first ring with relative ease, the radar contacts were revealed one at a time. 

**SU-47M "Yukikaze" ****  
****F-14D/S "Viper" ****  
****X-02T "Crystal" ****  
****XF/A-27A "Blade"**

Glen's eyes lingered on the last jet. 

Snapping back to attention, Glen scanned for the second ring, which rested on the other side of an island off his jet's left side. He nodded.

"Glensather, engaging," he reported, putting on his face mask. A gloved hand rested on the throttle while the other gripped the flight stick. He nudged the throttle forward and twisted sideways, beginning a very loose left turn that took him around the island. The ring came into sight moments later. Pushing the throttle a bit harder, he leveled out facing the ring and felt a change in his fighter's air resistance as the wings pushed themselves backward.

The Avenger flew through the ring and activated Number 3, off to the right at a near impossible angle. Glen would have to fly around one of the _Arleigh-Burke_ Destroyers toward the left and loop around. Anyone with a brain knew that would give the Angels more than enough time to achieve radar lock as soon as they got in range. He chanced a glance and saw that the Wyvern and Tomcat-D had chosen to fly low while the Berkut and Nephilim went high.

"This is Angel Leader," reported a voice calmer than Glen's. The voice belonged to now 1st Lieutenant Rei Fukai, leader of Angel Squadron. "I see the target on radar now. Too far out for missiles at this height; Angels 2 and 3, it's up to you at this moment,"

"Ryoukai," replied a shaky voice; Juan Septiano, the third pilot of Angel Squadron and formally a Ghost. "We'll take him out after he gets around the Aegis cruiser," 

"My fighter's got Phoenixes," said a confident voice; Captain Jonathan Anderson, formerly Glen's wingman, now an Angel as well. Though he was technically highest rank of the pilots, Erick deemed Angel Squadron an Air Force flight, and thus an FAAF officer had to lead it. "I'm acquiring tone now,"

Glen grimaced but kept his cool the best he could. He flipped the fighter even on its belly and ducked lower, skimming the water. The Aegis ship was beginning to turn left; obviously blocking Glen's current trajectory and attempting to force him up.

"We'll see to that, then," he whispered. He nosed up slightly and pushed his throttle completely up. Behind him, three powerful jet turbines put out enough exhaust to melt a man as their Afterburners ignited, propelling the jet forward at an incredible rate. He could hear the ship's Captain call for evasive maneuvers, but it was too late for them to react.

Two seconds before coming upon the Cruiser, Glen slammed on the airbrakes and twisted the jet on his side. The jet slid meters in front of the island of the Cruiser and he pulled the jet into a hard right turn, pulling up more than right on the stick. The jet "slid" in midair, its heading one direction but its momentum carrying it in the direction he was heading. The pilot's head swam as the G-forces acted gleefully on it. He shook his head and saw the ring behind the two Angels as they came for him. He set the throttle to attack speed – just under afterburners – and continued forward.

"He's coming right for us," Juan muttered.  
"It doesn't matter," Jonathan replied snidely. "I've got tone. Angel 2, Fox One! Fox One!" From the underbelly of the Tomcat-D, two AIM-54 Phoenix missiles streaked from their resting place and barreled on the Avenger. Suppressing a smirk, Glen armed his Vulcans, releasing their locks. He watched the smoke trails. He opened fire on one missile and blasted it out of the sky, before barrel-rolling to avoid the second one.

"Damnit, I missed," He heard Jonathan spit as he blew by the two fighters, flying through the next ring and activating #4, through a set of nearby islands. He angled the fighter to fly over one island and around the next, passing through the ring – assuming it was just on the other side.

"The Wizard has dark magic…" Juan whispered to himself. "But we have light to counter it," Glen narrowed his eyes and immediately began to scan the area above him. There was no sign of either the Berkut or 27 in the sky, meaning… 

The shrill sound of the RWR and his HUD flashing "MISSILE ALERT" in bright red letters clued him in. The lower-right corner popped up an "Unidentified" target approaching from less than a kilometer, and closing fast.

"Damnit," Glen growled. He switched angles and pushed up the throttle, skimming behind one island before quickly flipping to the other side and flying around another. The three engines of his Avenger roared with anger as the missile also evaded the island formations, and closing fast. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Glen pulled a hard right and up, hoping to evade the missile with a deeper turning angle.

Glen turned and rose, but the missile kept mirroring his every move. At the apex of his climb, he picked an island and dove for it, the missile screaming behind him. His HUD updated and revealed the target as an "AA-11B Backfire"… the perfect kind of dogfighting missile. The best way to get rid of it would be to blast it out of the sky with a wingman; unfortunately, he didn't have that option. 

It was do or die; he had to find a way out. He tapped the flare button on his joystick and pulled up while pulling back on the throttle, killing his afterburners in the process and reducing his engine output to zero. He fired off two flares before the Avenger began to slow down, then turned off the power completely. The airbrake deployed, further slowing the jet's momentum. As the Backfire chased after the flares, the Avenger twisted suddenly and faced the sea below. It quickly began to gather momentum downward. 

There was precious little time. Glen retyped the activation code, then reached over and flipped the three engine switches down, then up again. He used his other hand to push up the throttle, while with both feet pushed in the rudder pedals, causing the flaps to flare out. Meanwhile, the sea loomed ever closer as the Avenger continued its decent.

Glen alternated hands, resting one on the flight stick and pulling back while flipping the master engine switch up. The engines coughed once before the turbofans came to life, blowing out hot exhaust before producing thrust. Pulling his feet off the flaps, the jet strained against its own momentum as it began to level out, the sea ever closer. The HUD came back online just in time for Glen to read the rapidly ticking numbers as they neared zero.

_Come on… come on…_ he thought. _A little bit more…_

The jet's momentum stopped pushing down as Glen continued to nose up the fighter. The three engines had their limits pushed as they brought the jet to a near-stop in mid-air. His RWR came online just in time to go ballistic as he looked ahead to the two AMRAAM missiles bearing down on him. He quickly unlocked his Vulcans and opened fire. Tracers streaked through the sky before impacting with the missiles, detonating them prematurely.

Forward momentum quickly came to the Avenger, and it propelled itself toward the ring in question from earlier. Glen glided through and began to round the next island, toward the next ring. However, there was a surprise lurking in the shadows of the island. As he came around the side of the landmass, a hail of gunfire greeted him. Cursing, the pilot opened his airbrakes and reflexively pulled up, opening fire on nothing. Hovering within the shadows of a cliff, the MQ-3 Challengers and Seahawk control copters had taken position. The MQ-3 was a rotary-wing drone made specifically for target practice. Cheap, slow, and armed with a 20mm machine gun, they were only deadly in large numbers.

And there were 12 of them.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" Glen yelled rather uncharacteristically, the tension within himself releasing all at once. His fighter flared as bullets peppered him, damaging his wings and weak underbelly. He swiveled, tapping a few buttons along his console as he struggled with his fighter. He regained control and propelled rapidly upward. Switching channels, he considered praising the Seahawks on their surprise, but paused.

"This is Angel 4," a female voice called; it was a soft, quiet voice, but her words were at the same time firm. "I have him on radar… Blade, Fox Two…"

The RWR went crazy, but the missiles weren't in immediate sight. Glen's HUD brought up "AIM-120 AMRAAM" and pointed toward his right. Swiveling, he marked the missiles as about 20km away; the very edge of the AMRAAM's built-in terminal guidance range, but it was closing fast.

Glen flipped the fighter and began to divebomb the Challengers, dropping off a few pops of chaff in the process. He suppressed a smirk as a thought came to his mind, however. _15 Kilometers._

"Attention Sealance, this is Storm Wizard," he called, switching to FLEETCOM-1; everyone would hear. "Switching to Avenger Configuration,"

"But, sir, that hasn't been tested yet," one of the High-flying Ghostriders complained.  
"No matter," Glen replied, pushing the necessary code. "This is good a time as ever,"

The letters "AVENGER Configuration, Active," popped up on Glen's HUD… and a transformation occurred. _10 Kilometers._

The Avenger killed its engines and leveled out, using its flaps to prevent any gained forward momentum. The AMRAAM missiles on the Avenger dropped from their positions, and the two top-mounted Phoenixes also detached, flying off in random directions. The fighter nosed down a bit when suddenly a loud "POP" echoed around in the air… and the bottom of the jet fell out, falling toward the sea.

_"What the hell is going on?"_ he heard Jonathan shout. To his left, the F-14D/S watched from a distance.

_5 Kilometers._

From where the bottom of the jet once was, two long, reverse-kneed, steel legs unfolded, like a bird's legs. Three-toed "feet" lay flat, and the whirring of turbofans could be heard. Two hot jets shot out, slowing the fighter's decent toward the sea and causing its stance to change slightly.

The gunpods on the Avenger's wings lowered, becoming guns attached to arms. They swiveled about for a second before setting themselves forward.

_1 Kilometer._

"AVENGER Transformation, Complete," popped up on Glen's HUD. On the sides of the jet, two green lights, shaped to resemble eyes under and behind the canopy, flickered on.

AMRAAM missiles bore down on the jet. At the last possible second, a burst of energy from the bottom engines moved the jet back and up, causing the missiles to scream past and plummet into the ocean. Glen grinned to himself as he swiveled, looking down and to the right. He heard a whirring sound as the arm guns moved, matching the direction he was looking. He opened fire, the GPU-8/A cannons opening fire on the UAV units below. One was blasted out of the sky and forced the others to evade, but were unable to point up.

**"MISSILE ALERT"** flashed on Glen's HUD again. Looking up, two Sidewinders were closing in.

"Activating eXperimental Enhanced Resonance Operating System," muttered the pilot. He keyed in five buttons on the side on his console.

**X ****  
****E ****  
****R ****  
****O ****  
****S**

There was a flash of yellow light within the cockpit as it became active.

- 

The Sidewinders missed by millimeters. Guns pointed down and blew away the offending objects. The Avenger dropped from its place in the sky, flying backward and down before stopping a kilometer from the Challenger UAV units. Covers popped off the gun pods, revealing eight AIM-9X missiles. On the HUD Screen, each one locked on to a separate target.

In a flash of smoke and fire, all eight Sidewinders launched, twirling around each other in fury as they came down on the MQ-3s, blasting them out of the sky. The Avenger rapidly flew forward, tucking its legs under itself much like a bird-of-prey, and flew forward. It opened fire and destroyed three of the remaining four before suddenly kicking out its legs. One engine activated and shoved the fighter into a hard left jink, circling the last Challenger before bringing both Cannons to bear. It blasted the UAV out of the air with a stream of gatling fire.

"Amazing…" Jack whispered. "Less then 12 seconds…"

Jack had joined up with the Ghostriders and flew point, looking down at the Avenger as it seemed to slow.

"Kanchou!" he shouted. "Are you okay?"  
"…"  
"Kanchou?"

An alarm went off in the F-35's cockpit.

"Angel 2, Fox Two!"  
"Angel 3, Fox Two!"  
"Angel 4, Fox Two!"  
"Angel 1, going in hot!"

Three missiles streaked by the nose of Jack's fighter, causing him to lose control and snap roll right. A Berkut followed the missiles as they plummeted toward the stationary Avenger.

-

Inside the Avenger cockpit, the only sound was the RWR and Glen's heavy breathing. Blood seeped out of his nose. His ears were ringing as on his HUD a thousand targets seemed to flicker in and out of existence. He blinked and pushed the hallucinations away, but they returned just as swiftly.

"Targets, everywhere…" he muttered. "I can't… can't fight them all…" Gasping for breath, Glen slumped forward in his seat as he took in a deep breath. Pushing in both rudders, now leg, pedals, he pushed his fighter backward to evade the missiles and fighter… 

Glen looked up and opened fire with his Gun pods… but he couldn't maintain lock.

Shaking his head, Glen tried to regain his thoughts again… but this time...

-

Just as the missiles would impact, the Avenger pulled an impossible hard right, evading him and spinning on one leg. It whirled around rapidly before bringing a cannon straight up.

Rei hadn't anticipated the sudden change in movement as he dove with the missiles, and was thus greeted with an unwelcome sight. As the Avenger whirled around, it pointed its gun straight at the Berkut's nose. Rei screamed and rolled, twisting right and leveling out. Behind him, the cannon opened fire, glancing bullets off the tail of the Berkut and giving it a pockmarked look.

"Holy…" he whispered. "That was wicked fast…"

-

Glen slumped over in his seat.

Three words appeared on his helmet's HUD, though his closed eyes showed no signs of comprehension… 

And a cry, like a wolf's howl, echoed into the darkness…

-

The Avenger pushed itself up. In mid-rise, the lights on the side of the fighter went from green to red. Behind it, the other three jets of the Angel Wing unit came around, flying as one, and rejoined the leader in the Berkut. It stopped and swiveled, turning to face the fighters, but made no other movement. Down and behind it, the Seahawks retreated, heading back to the _Sealance_ as quickly as possible. Jack had slowed down and was descending toward the island below. He typed in a few key commands as his jet entered VTOL mode. He unlocked his weapons.

"Angel 1 to all Angel Units," Rei called, unlocking his remaining two Backfire missiles. "Arm all short-range IR missiles. The thing is too fast and too evasive for anything slower than Sidewinders, and can swivel too easily for us to avoid the gunfire," On the outer wing pylons of the Su-47, two fuel tanks dropped. "Drop all tanks; let's try and get him on one pass,"

"This is Angel 2, Ryoukai," Jonathan replied.   
"Angel 3… yes, sir," Juan whispered, his internal racks opening to reveal four AIM-9X ASRAAM missiles.

"This is Angel 4… do we really have to do this?" Rena asked, dropping her tanks.  
"Yes. It's what both Colonel Long and the Admiral wanted," Rei answered, bringing the wing of jets around to face the still-unmoving Avenger as it glared at them.

"I… see…" Rena said softly. A few seconds later, six more ASRAAM missiles came online. "I wonder… if we all fire at once… can he stop them?" 

"I doubt it," Jonathan said, grinning. "If we can just get in range without being blasted, we'll be all right,"

"Cut it," Rei suddenly ordered. "I've got us about 15 klicks out; it looks like he's watching us," indeed, as the Berkut and the others leveled out, the Avenger still had her guns trained on the unit. The computer in the Berkut cockpit zoomed in on the Avenger as it swiveled, its tail fins moving to rotate the jet. "On my mark…" 

"Wait," Juan interrupted. "The Wyvern's picking up signals from the jet… it looks like its moving…"  
"I've got a visual," Rena confirmed. "Unless my systems are malfunctioning, it looks like he's moving… backwards?"

The Avenger slowly seemed to back up from the incoming Angels as they made their way closer to the jet. It started to rise into the sky and seemed to begin turning up, looking on-high as it seemed to search for an escape route.

"Is he running?" Jack wondered, looking up at the Avenger from his JSF.

However, as if on cue, the Avenger rapidly turned and looked downward at the JSF. Jack blinked at the sudden change of movement, and continued to stare as the Avenger dropped from the sky. It at first started lowering itself from the sky, edging closer to the F-35, then suddenly, as if the bottom fell from it, it fell like a rock.

The Avenger's feet crashed onto the sides of the JSF, and Jack screamed as his jet fell from the sky. The fighter on top pointed its cannons down at the fuselage and fired twice, rupturing fuel lines and control units. Jack's engine died, smoke shooting out the top of the jet. Just as suddenly as it started, however, the Avenger cut its engines back on and rose higher before tucking in its legs and activating all three engines, heading straight up toward the Ghostrider flight watching from below.

The six fighters broke and scattered as the jet appeared amongst them, opening fire in a wide circle. One of the fighters were caught in the left wing while another had its canopy blown off, but otherwise the flight remained undamaged as they retreated and prepared to fight back.

"He's lost it!" one of the pilots shouted.  
"Don't worry," Rei called. "We'll be in range in ten seconds!"

Below, the Berkut and other Angels continued to rise rapidly, their engines shooting out fire. The unit headed straight for the Avenger as it continued to fire upon the Ghostriders, as they vainly attempted a counterattack. Rei gripped the controls of his jet tightly, watching the twin squares converge slowly. The first one connected, the radar locking on to the high heat output of the jet. The diamond took longer, but at the end of ten seconds…

"Mark," Rei said, opening a channel. "Angel Units, we have tone! Missiles away!"

"Angel Wing, Fox Two!" Jonathan shouted.  
"Angel 3, Fox Two! Fox Two!" Twin ASRAAM missiles shot from the racks of the Wyvern, advanced targeting systems helping the AIM-9s.

"Angel 4… Fox Twin!" Six missiles streaked from the underbelly of the XF/A-27.  
"Angel Lead, Fox Two!" Two AA-11 missiles screamed from the underside of the Berkut.

As if noticing them for the first time, the Avenger looked down on the others. The twin gatlings and nose Vulcan rotated for two seconds before opening fire upon the encroaching missiles. The ASRAAMs twisted to avoid the gunfire, but for many of them, it was too late. GPU fire, coupled with Vulcan fire, sent hundreds of shells shooting from the sky like rain, three guns cutting loose with more hot lead than any of the Angel jets, who watched their missiles streak upwards toward their target.

Over half the missiles were blown out of the sky. But there were enough, it seemed, as the first ASRAAM ducked under one last burst of GPU fire and slammed into one of the legs, tearing it off at knee with its explosion.

A second one hit the adjacent gun arm, blowing it away at the "shoulder".  
A third one detonated on the left wing, shearing it off at the base and causing the fighter to lean unnaturally to the right.

A fourth flew between the tails and hit the third engine, causing it to rupture and send jet fuel into the sky as it billowed smoke, consuming the fighter and her wounds. 

The Angels burst past, their engines straining at the height. The jets leveled out and looped around, looking down at the smoke cloud as it cleared.

_The jet was still there._

"No fuckin' way…" Jonathan whispered as he looked at the wreckage of the Avenger.  
"It is as if… the devil controls it," Juan said, suddenly crossing himself.  
"…" Rei and Rena were silent as their in-flight cameras zoomed in on the jet itself. 

"…Storm One, this is Angel One, come in," Rei called out as the silence permeated the air. "Come in, Storm One," 

There was a hiss of static.

"…This is Storm Wizard… is that you, Yuki?" Rei breathed a sigh of relief.   
"Yeah, this is me, Admiral," he called. "You had us worried…"

-

"...we didn't think you were going to make it for a while there,"

Glen stood on the deck on the _Sealance_. Behind him, the hulk of the Avenger was taken under, into the hangar for a serious bit of maintenance. He leaned heavily on his cane, and he listened to Rena as she explained what had happened to the Sealancer pilot; her own jet was resting comfortably near the island.

"So… the Avenger went berserk?" he concluded. "After it knocked me unconscious?"   
"Yes, sir," Rena nodded, looking back toward the island of the Sealance. "According to the guys watching you from the island, they said you went out shortly after activating XEROS… it seems that the sudden infusion of electronic information into your brain caused you to – for lack of a better term – short-circuit," she chuckled. "Oh… I'm sorry, sir,"

Glen looked down for a second, his gray eyes searching the sea, before he looked back at Rena and nodded. He limped past the girl, patting her on the shoulder in a cold recognition, and headed for the island of the carrier. Next to the door, a confused and beaten-looking Jack David leaned, his eyes searching his mentor for a better answer to the event. As he opened his mouth to speak, however, Glen silenced him with a raised hand, whispering something to himself as he stepped through the threshold between worlds. Jack only stared after him before looking back at Rena, who stared after the dark-haired pilot briefly… before grinning at Jack. Jack smiled and waved, adjusting his Oakley's and stepping inside the ship himself.

But one thought demanded to be spoken.

"…Oniichan?"

- 

_Hours later, under the cover of night… ___

_Glen stood in front of the Avenger, a hand placed on the nose. ___

_"Can you really bring forth… a conclusion to the Scenario presented?" he asked the jet. Silence was his only answer, however, and that was all the pilot desired. Turning away, he glanced back briefly at the jet he questioned. Then, looking back ahead, he walked off, his cane tapping against the floor rhythmically. ___

_However, inside the jet's open cockpit, the helmet HUD suddenly came online. __  
__And one word flashed._

_...yes._

-

_Now its time, I fear to tell, __  
__I've been holding it back so long, __  
__But something strange deep inside of me is happening, __  
__I feel unlike, __  
__I've ever felt, __  
__And its making me scared, __  
__That I may not be what I (think I am) … ___

_What of us, what do I say __  
__Are we both from a different world? __  
__Cos every breath that I take, I breathe it for you __  
__I couldn't face my life without you __  
__And I'm so afraid. __  
__There's nothing to comfort us… __  
__What am I, if I can't be yours ? ___

_I don't sleep, don't feel a thing, __  
__And my senses have all but gone, __  
__Can't even cry from the pain, __  
__Can't shed a tear now __  
__I realize, __  
__We're not the same and it's making me sad, __  
__Cos we can't fufill our dreams (in the life)… ___

_So I must, let us break free __  
__I can never be what you need __  
__If there was a way, through the hurt then __  
__I would fight it __  
__I'd take the blows. __  
__Yes I would fight it __  
__But this is the one. __  
__Impossible dream to love __  
__What am I, if I can't be yours… __  
__Thanatos, If I Can't Be Yours_

-

"So this is how it all starts for us. The beginning of a conflict, written in blood and tears. Our journey begins soon…"

"In Episode One of _Angel Squadron_, the Angels must fight on the ground as they seek out the answers to a transmission sent to Erick. The location? Grunder Industries main base in Sudentor. The time? December 30th, 2010… the night four black jets took the fight to their true enemy…" 

"Next on _Sky's Angels: Angel Squadron – Yukikaze and the Super Sylph_"

"And I promise to try and throw in a little fanservice as well…"


	2. OP Theme: Minami Kaze

(Black screen... guitar start.) 

(The Nephilim is sitting on the launch deck of the Sealance, light gleaming off her cockpit; the sun shines from high in the sky.)

(Quick flash of characters: Glen, Juan, Viper, Jack.)

(The camera zooms out to show Rei and Rena in an embracing, his face solemn but hers bright and smiling.

_"Kokoro egakidasu... chizu jou no michina FRONTIER,"_

(Rei and Rena walk through the corridors of the Sealance while scenes flash by: Juan is working on the Wyvern, a solemn look on his face; Mike and Jaime standing on top of Bronze Gate One, looking up into the sky...)

_"Tobira hiraitara... michi wa tsuzuiteiru yo,"_

(More flashes: Viper smiling, leaning against his Tomcat; Erick talking with Cid, Joseph, and Raneses, steaming mugs of coffee in their hands.)

_"Hitori tayori naku... senobishite miru UTOPIA,"_

(Scenes: Jack, sweatdropping, paperwork scattered in front of him. Looking up, he grins and waves at Rei and Rena, who stand. Glen is in the background, nodding to them.)

_"Yumemiru kurai nara kama wazu sagashi ni iku yo,"_

(A CIC screen pops up: SCRAMBLE)   
(Camera goes black. Boxes come up with character portraits: Rei, Rena, Juan, Viper, Jack, Glen.)

_"Hokori makiagete kimi no machi e,"_

(Camera flashes to one of the Sealance's decks; the Angels are running down the hall, Jack struggling to keep up. In the doorway at the end, Glen waits on them while leaning on his cane.)

_"Sora to daichi ga..."_

(The camera pans around the _FAS Sealance_ and zooms in on the catapult deck, focusing on the Super Sylph.)

_"...kasanaru ROUTE de,"_

(The camera shifts to a focus of the Super Sylph's exhaust as it burns bright blue with afterburner flame, then launches.)

(The Angels form up and and fly in formation. Flashes of the pilots in their cockpits.)

_"Hashiru minami kaze ni notte,"_

(The camera goes black and shifts to the slums of a city. The camera focuses on a Raptor as it flies by before rapidly turning downward to focus on to Nodsri's yellow eyes.)

_"Aoku somaru kaze wo kitte,"_

(A flash, and the scene changes to the Tempest, flying among the clouds alone.)

_"Kokoro goto kakedashiteirun da,"_

(Scenes flash by: Erick smiling and tipping his hat; Mike with the Adlers, sitting around a table; Timer grinning, saluting casually toward the screen; Sasha standing in Caelum Umbra, snow whipping around her; Joseph sitting behind his desk, filling out a black journal; Viper kneeling, firing an M4; Jack standing in front of the Sealancers, saluting at them; Glen and Nodsri, staring each other down and weapons in hand; Rei and Rena, embraced, tears running down her face.)

_"Mahiru no tsuki wo oikoshite..."_

(Scene shifts back to Nodsri. His eyes narrow as he draws both halves of his sub souba and grins maliciously.)

_"Kinou to wa chigau sekai he,_"

(Scene goes back to the Tempest; fighters fade in around it as the cannons along her body charge.)

_"Dokomademo hashirinuketeku ano kaze no you ni..."_

(Angel Squadron flies in diamond formation, leading the FA as missiles scream by them; images close in on Rei and Rena, their eyes determined and their expression grim.)

(The camera shifts back to the sun, this time setting and casting the sky in amber light. Shadows of four Angels break the light before disappearing.)

(Amongst the sun, the title in English and Kanji.)

_**空の天使: 天使の艦隊   
Sky's Angels: Angel Squadron**_

_"Ano kaze ga you ni..."_

(The camera shifts to the hangar of Bronze Gate One in a top-down view; every single FA pilot is standing rank-and-file, with both Erick and Glen at the lead; all of them salute; the FA logo spread at their feet…)

Exile Studios   
Project Aces   
Kyoto Animation   
Studio GONZO   
Bandai Visual   
NAMCO...

Project ANGEL


	3. YatSS::Karenai Hana

The darkness of the night hid the two like shadows. Their forms, mere mirages against the darkness, seemed to blend in with the hangar wall well. Their eyes searched out their targets; the uniformed soldiers walking toward them at a brisk pace, their HK G36 rifles slung casually over their shoulders. Two sets of eyes watched them as they closed in… until they passed.

The first shadow moved. It started to mimic the every move of the two men, stepping when they stepped and stopping when they stopped. Under the cover of night, only the light of a million stars and distance spotlights were supposed to help the two soldiers. The shadow edged closer and subtly pulled out a silver object. The small piece of metal gleamed through the night air as the shadow brought it up to the soldier's neck. Before the man had a chance to scream, the shadow attacked, slicing a clean cut into the soldier's neck before quickly moving to the second one. The man felt a hand clamp over his mouth and his head forced back. As the K-BAR moved over his neck, all he saw afterward was darkness.

The shadow twisted the body and began to drag both of them backwards; taking time to ensue no blood touched the uniforms. It edged the bodies back to the shadow's original position, where the shadows took time to relieve the dead men of their weaponry. The smaller second shadow lifted an AK and pulled back the hammer, loading a round into the chamber. It looked down at the larger shadow in confirmation. There was a brief silence, and then the smaller shadow pulled off its hood.

A spotlight passed over the area, but the guards would be too far away to see platinum blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Rena Davenport looked at the spotlight before nodding to herself and helping Rei Fukai with the uniforms.

**Sky's Angels ****  
--Angel Squadron  
----Episode: 01  
------Yukikaze and  
--------the Super Sylph**

_"Pilots," Erick began. "Tomorrow night, you will embark on a dangerous mission." _

_The stern figure that composed Erick von Long stared down the four pilots dubbed "Angel Squadron", as he activated the holographic projection behind him. The four pilots stared as the projection came to life, wreathed in the shadows of the room wreathed in the shadows of the room wreathed in the shadows of the room._

Rena began to undress the smaller of the two soldiers. She ripped off the man's dog tags and stuffed them in her flight suit. Fingers working deftly, she started from the top down, a wave of embarrassment coming over her and causing her to blush slightly as she continued what she considered dirty work. Next to her, Rei Fukai systematically removed his victim's clothing. To him, it was just business… like everything else.

_The projection showed a holographic map projection of something akin to an airbase, but with an army twist. Tanks were shown parked next to old Su-25s and even older MiG-21 jets from the Cold War era. _

_"This is your target," Erick said, his graying eyes focusing on the four pilots. "It is an old hangar complex in C3S."_

_"C3S?" echoed one of the voices. Leaning forward, a young man revealed himself in the light. The boy's hazel eyes stared with melancholy as he opened his mouth to speak. "Isn't that the location of…?"_

_"Yes, it is," Erick responded quickly. "The location that they are headed for as well. However, your operation will have nothing to do with them."_

Rena finished taking the uniform off the man and proceeded to hide his body behind a stack of crates. Peering over the crates at Rei as he too dragged the dead soldier into the darkness, she began to take off her flight suit. She took off her gloves and grabbed the zipper between her thumb and forefinger, and then unzipped herself. Blushing, the girl quickly tossed the flight suit into the darkness and suppressed a shiver, reaching for the nearby uniform.

Rei, meanwhile, had already changed halfway. The young man stood in the man's uniform pants and his own sleeveless shirt as he paused to stare about the area. He quietly put his knife and pistol to the side and put on both the uniform shirt and flak jacket that the soldier had worn. Rei took the radio that the soldier owned and opened it, ripping out the batteries and tossing the radio itself in one direction, and the batteries in the other. A mistake with a simple radio could ruin the entire operation.

_"Then… what?" asked the second young man. A slightly older man leaned forward, his blue eyes staring at his CO. The man wore Lieutenant's bars on his jacket, but he seemed to be acting just as nervous as the rest of the pilots. The young man scratched the scruff of a __five-o'clock__ shadow before continuing, "It would seem that if that's where we're going, then it must have something to do with…" _

_"It does," Erick said, smiling. "However, your operation will take place here," Erick motioned toward the hangar complex. "In here is one of the enemy's secret weapons; something akin to the ADF-01F parts that they've been finding everywhere between all countries involved… even their own homeland," he paused, and took a breath._

_"My informant," he continued, "tells me that in Hangar VKE-31, there's a hidden weapon – a fighter, to be exact – that's equipped with the latest in everything. He says that it's going to be the weapon of the future for them. It seems to be a counter to the EASA XF/A-27 that we found a few years back. However, unlike the ADF sister project, this one seems to be more contemporary than incredibly futuristic."_

Rena tried to adjust the uniform, but the best she could do was managed to tighten the belt and tuck in the uniform shirt. The sleeves of the jacket went past her hands and the beret was too big for her head. Annoyed, the girl considered tossing it, but her feminine figure would already be obvious from close-up; might as well not make it from a distance as well, she reasoned. She stepped from behind the crates and saw that Rei was standing there, his back to her, politely waiting on her to finish. Taking another last look at her clothes and wrinkling her nose, the girl merely had to shrug and walked up to the older pilot.

"I think I'm ready," she said, looking at him with an expectant look in her eye. Rei nodded and looked back at her.

"VKE-3 is on the other side of the base from here; to reach it, we'll have to follow this route around these older hangars and toward… there." Rei pointed to one of the spotlights; the one farthest to the left. "That one is VKX-3." He stopped to think for a second. "If we follow these guys' original path, it should take us by that spot."

"But how can you be sure, Rei?" Rena asked. "I didn't notice their patrol route; you kind of killed them first."

"I know," Rei responded, staring toward the other side of the base. "But a lot of the guards' paths take them through here sooner or later. Toward our left, two more are just now making their way around the bend. Come on," Rei suddenly started, holding his G36 in both hands and walking off toward the right, deeper into the darkness but in the right direction. Rena took a minute to notice before gasping.

"Hey, wait up!" she whispered, hustling up next to him. She looked over her shoulder nervously before staring straight ahead and matching her step with Rei's. "So you're certain that this is the right way?"

"Almost," Rei said without looking at her. "Either way, we'll be safe until we reach the hangar, at least. By the end, we'll still have to gun our way inside."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Rena asked, shocked. She stopped. "What do you mean, gun our way inside?"

"Just what I said," Rei answered, not stopping. "Come on." He waited for Rena to scoff to herself before she ran up to him and resumed walking with him. "The resistance will be heavy, but I think we can manage."

"But… attack them?" Rena said, shaking her head. "Isn't there another way?"

"Not unless you can get another key to the hangar. It's top-secret, so I'm pretty sure they don't just hand those things out," Rena opened her mouth to retort, but she stopped, sighing in defeat. Despite what she wanted to believe, Rei was right; they would eventually have to fight._ So long as it's not soon, then,_ she thought. _As long as it's quiet, we're okay._

Rei, meanwhile, continued to watch the girl closely, despite looking straight ahead as they rounded a corner. Even though she was a capable fighter in the air, Rena couldn't hold a gun steady. Rei remembered the time back when the enemy invaded Bronze Gate One: Rei systematically took out soldiers with gunfire, while all Rena could manage was suppression fire; she had never killed a man _directly_, he realized. Always with M61s and missiles… but never with a gun, let alone a knife.

She was a burden, and that was a problem. If gunfire rang out, Rei believed that having to protect both Rena and himself would prove to be a hassle. He didn't know if he would be able to pull off both tasks while at the same time figuring a way to get into VKE-3. But he would have to try; he promised himself a long time ago he wouldn't lose Rena again, after last time, and that wasn't about to change.

It was up to him, but he wouldn't face it as a hero, a Knight in shining armor. He would face it as a Soldier; head-on for the target, stopping only that which got in his way. It would be how he would be forced to face this problem.

Rei looked back at his "charge" briefly, watching the girl as she seemed to stare off into the distance. The girl seemed lost in her own thoughts; a habit she had become prone too for a few months now. Rei knew what it was, even if she wouldn't admit it. Rena's brother, Alvin H. Davenport, had died during the Circum-Pacific War, protecting civilians from enemy fighters. He had fought to the last and died as a Captain of the OADF as part of the 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron, while his allies – the Wings of Sand Island - still lived to fight battles.

_That is… until they were shot down… and became the Razgriz._

"Wings ablaze in majestic light…" Rei whispered. He had seen the pilots, of course; many members of the FA had at least seen the photos of them in which Erick had acquired shortly after sending them a shipment of F-14D Tomcats, currently on lease to the _OFS Kestrel _until the war was over. Of course, no one but the FA knew about the transaction; it was a covert operation, occurring in the Pacific one night between the _FAS Sealance _and a cargo ship working for the Razgriz.

_But those were ordinary pilots,_ Rei thought as they reached the front end of the base. Spotlights passed over the two briefly, and both FA pilots tensed up… but the light merely passed over them without another thought. Rena breathed a sigh of relief before the two continued their trek. Rei wondered if those four pilots, who had fought against his homeland before discovering the true enemy, were flying over him right now.

**_Belka_**. The very name put venom into Rei's mouth. And now they were going to steal one of its weapons… and possibly use it against them. The thought amused Rei, though he kept his mind focused on the task at hand. He chanced looking around the area: now that they were within an actually dangerous area, he had to keep on his toes; a mistake here could mean the end of both pilots.

"Rei…" Rena whispered. "Do you hear that?" Rena had visibly tensed up; she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Rei broke out of his line of thought to look at the girl. Her eyes started darting around. "Listen… it sounds like…" But Rei could already hear it too; the sound of rotors spinning rapidly; rotary-wing aircraft – helicopters. Rei scanned the sky, and soon he noticed that the searchlights had also turned upward, their users also having heard the sounds of the rotating blades as well.

"Maybe… we should find cover," Rei whispered to himself. He looked around and spotted a nearby shadow; one dark enough to hide in. Tapping Rena on the shoulder, he pointed at the spot he had seen. Rena nodded and started off toward the spot, one eye in the sky. She slung her G36 around her shoulder and rolled up her sleeves slightly, giving her room to move. Slinging her gun back over, she made it toward the shadow and knelt, looking up at whatever it was that could come. Rei also made his way toward the shadow and put his back against the hangar.

"Perhaps it would be best if we-," Rena's words were cut short, as a torrent of gunfire suddenly rang out around the base. From above, nose-mounted guns on MV-22 Ospreys rained .50 caliber shells upon the small facility, sending troops scattering and those foolish enough to stand and fire back to an early grave. The rotary wings of the Ospreys were turned upward, and the three hybrid helicopter/planes lowered themselves in a triangle formation, spraying the area with gunfire. Rena screamed and jumped back against the wall next to Rei.

"This wasn't part of the plan!" she shouted. "Who are these guys?!" Looking up, Rei focused on one of the Ospreys as they were bathed in light from a dozen spotlights. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the flag under the left side of the canopy.

"…Osea." He said. He looked back at Rena. "Those guys are Osean troops. They might be members of the 1st Airborne Assault Division; they must've decided to come around the back way."

Sparks flew next to the two, and Rena dropped to her knees, clasping her beret tightly down around her ears. Marines started jumping out of the Ospreys on ropes, firing their assault rifles as they made their way down. From the open side doors and rear ramps, some soldiers loaded their M203 Grenade Launchers and fired at clusters, sending enemy troops scattering.

"We have to move," Rei muttered. Grabbing Rena by the arm, he lifted her up. "Come on, let's go!" _Damnit, she's already a liability, _he thought. _She's going to get killed out here._ Rei dragged Rena behind the hangar and let go of her. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm _not _okay!" Rena shouted, glaring up at Rei and causing him to falter slightly. _"I just got shot at!"_

"Hey, you two!" a voice shouted. Looking up, Rei saw a trooper headed his way. "Get into the fight… wait a minute, you guys aren't with us!" The man's eyes locked on the small form of Rena. "Hey, enemy-," his words were cut off as automatic fire sprayed from Rei's rifle, downing the man where he stood.

"Damnit!" Rei shouted. He looked at Rena. "We've got to move!" Rena nodded and stood up as another blast of gunfire lanced at the two pilots. Both pilots sprinted and slid behind a tarp-covered truck. Rei put his back to it and peered around the corner. The soldiers had stopped firing, but he could hear them talking. "Reinforcements."

"What?" Rena asked, her eyes scanning the area right behind them. The sounds of gunfire between the Ospreys and Marines and the enemy still rang out loudly across the base; explosions from M203s rocked Rena slightly as she listened to them.

"They're calling for backup," Rei said, more to himself than Rena. Looking at the girl, however, he said, "We've got to reach that hangar now. If we don't, we could die here." Rena looked shocked, but nodded. She understood the place they were in, and the necessity to move. Standing, she threw off the beret.

"I'm ready!" she shouted. Rei nodded before ducking back behind the truck as another hail of gunfire rang out.

"On three!" he yelled back, jumping around the corner and opening a hail of 5.56mm rounds down the narrow alley between the hangar and the fence. He heard a scream and dived back behind the truck, just as bullets rang out from the alley. "One!"

Rena looked around for the safest route toward the hangar. Either way, they'd have to cross open field, but they had to make the best of it. Her eyes scanned the area for something.

"Two!" Rei shouted. He searched the uniform and found what he was looking for; a smoke grenade. Priming it, he tossed it around the corner as hard as he could. He didn't bother watching to see if it made it to a good spot or not. He shot a look at Rena, who pointed at what she was looking for; an old T-55 tank from the Cold War. It was big and provided enough cover for the two to decide their next plan of action. Rei nodded, and screamed, "THREE!"

The two ran for it, ducking their heads and bolting for the tank. From behind and to their left, both Osean troops along with their enemy fired upon the two running pilots, neither side aware that the other was in a way helping them. Rei and Rena both hit the dirt, diving for cover and hiding behind the tank itself. Rei peeked around the edge and noticed that both sides had temporarily ignored them and started fighting each other again. Rena looked out to their insertion point and noticed that there were sporadic bursts of light appearing every now and again.

"Looks like we're safe for a little while," Rei muttered.

"Yeah," Rena agreed. "At least for a little while," she looked around. "Now what's the plan?"

"…I have no idea," Rei admitted after thinking for a second. "But from here we have some thinking room," he paused.

"The hangar is a few buildings behind us," Rena said, ducking her head reflexively as she heard an explosion, followed by a screech of metal; peering over, Rei saw that one of the Ospreys had been destroyed. "So maybe if we can just run for it, we can make it before they notice that we've even left, get what we came for, and get out."

"Just one problem," Rei sighed, propping his gun against the tank and sitting down, laying back on the old vehicle. "That Osprey that was just destroyed created a nice, big pile of mess in the middle of the runway. We'll have to move it before we can go."

"Well… if it's like the Nephilim, there might be missiles already attached," Rena suggested, peering around the corner of the tank.

"Not likely," Rei countered. "If it's anything like when they found the ADF-01 prototype during the early days of the war, then it'll be completely unarmed; the complete version could be anywhere, even…" he paused to think. "Even with the Slaves, just like the Nephilim."

"…I would hope not," Rena whispered, closing her eyes and relaxing against the tank. "If Nodsri got hold of anything stronger than a Raptor, he could potentially be the most dangerous pilot in the skies, bar none," she held her rifle loosely in her hands as she looked up into the night sky. Staring, something caught the girl's attention. "Rei… is that a comet?" Rei looked up.

"It looks like a-," but his words were cut short as a massive blast assaulted both pilots' ears, cutting off anything else they would have heard. A shockwave rumbled through the area, shaking the very foundations of the hangars, along with those fighting; the reports of gunfire and explosions were no longer heard by the two pilots. Rena covered her ears and started screaming in protest. Rei cringed at both the shockwave and the screaming, and he too covered his ears.

But as the shockwave and sound faded, the sounds of gunfire picked up again, as well as the sound of more incoming craft; reinforcements, possibly for both sides. Rei looked up.

"We have to move again, Rena," he said. He paused, then looked down at the girl. "Rena?" Tapping the girl on the shoulder, he blinked as he watched the girl sink deeper into herself, whimpering. "Rena!"

A spark flashed around Rei's eye, followed by bullet ricochets. People were firing at the two again.

"Damnit!" Rei shouted, coming from behind the tank and opening fire on the enemy. His HK burst with five quick shells before clicking with protest; empty. Reaching down, Rei felt for another clip, emptied the gun, and reloaded with one swift movement, the new clip creating a satisfying "click" as it locked into place. Rei cocked the gun and came around the tank, firing at the guys from behind the alley while using the tank as cover, so the Osean troops couldn't fire at him as well.

_"The mission will be dangerous," Erick said. "If you're caught, you could be killed, or locked into a delaying firefight. You can't afford a delay," he looked at Rei and Rena. "If you guys aren't out within the hour of being inserted, you could be locked into a three-way firefight."_

"Damnit, Erick, why didn't I believe you?" Rei complained. "This isn't going to work; I need something more," ducking gunfire, Rei came back to Rena. The girl had her arms over her heading, blocking out the sounds. "Rena, I need your help." In response, the girl shook her head rapidly. "Come on, Davenport, this isn't the time to have a nervous breakdown!" He looked down at her, but Rena made no movement. Something incomprehensible came out of her mouth, but Rei couldn't understand. "What was that?"

"…" Rena looked up, fear in her eyes. "I'm afraid, Rei… terrified…"

"You've been shot at hundreds of times," Rei said, firing from around the corner of the tank and ducking back rapidly.

"But that was by missiles!" Rena screamed, glaring at Rei. "Not always by guns! Not by guns held by _people! Never when I could look back at another human!"_

"What's the difference?" Rei asked. He peered around the corner of the tank before sighing and reloading. "Missiles, bullets… it's all the same."

"No, it's _not!_" Rena shouted, pushing Rei. "A jet is impersonal! You just point and shoot! You never really see the pilot, never realize that you're killing another human!" she paused. "Most of our enemies have been computers up to this date, anyway! Jets run by computers!"

"Shut up!" Rei shouted back suddenly. Rena opened her mouth, but stopped. "Do you hear that?"

"A… whistling sound?" Rena asked. Rei nodded. "Just like when - duck!"

Rei and Rena hit the dirt as another blast of power fell from the sky. The shockwave seemed even more powerful than before, and some soldiers were blown clear backwards as they fought to stand on their feet.

"Okay, just what the hell is that?" Rei shouted.

-

_In orbit above the Earth, it pointed. _

_Like a giant rail gun, the object rotated its center mass, its solar collectors collecting the stars' rays as it focused its energy to propel a single, incredibly large shell toward the Earth. The collectors spread out, and four large tubes opened up and spread out. The object stopped rotating long enough to point directly at the earth, locking onto its target far, far below. Electricity crackled along the object's body and within the barrel as the shell was loaded into the barrel._

_In a single great recoil, the object fired; the shell shot down, screaming toward the Earth. It moved so fast, it split clouds with heat as it entered the atmosphere going Mach 19. Fire trailed its body behind as it zeroed in on the point on which it was to detonate. Complex computers tracked the object to its last seconds… when it finally detonated._

_The SOLG-launched shell exploded, sending bright flares in all directions. A shockwave followed, stronger than a sonic boom, in all directions, in almost a hundred miles in every direction. The very explosion itself set countless objects on fire._

_But as the flare faded, four jets streaked by. Black and red ghosts of the past, present, and future._

_Their raven wings ablaze in majestic light._

-

"Is this a good idea, Captain?"

"I think so. All you have to do is follow me, Angel 3."

"…Yes, sir."

The two fighters came in under the radar, their gray forms mingling with the darkness of the city as they approached it from the east. The fighters came in slow, their pilots taking in the chaos before them.

Jets streaked around each other, firing missiles and unleashing hot lances of fire at each other. On the ground, huge defense towers fired surface-to-air missiles and threw hot lead into the sky at their opponents. The jets all had different markings; the white and blue of Osea, the red and yellow of Yuktobania… and the black, yellow, and white of Belka. The jets attacked both their enemies and each other, in a desperate bid for dominance.

"It's a massacre," Juan whispered, his young, shaky voice barely getting the words out.

"We've seen worse," Jonathan replied, his own confident voice eclipsing his friend's. "It's up to pilots like us to sort out this mess, Juan."

"I… I know," Juan said. "Wyvern, activate targeting sequence; set master safety off… attack speed." The switchblade wings of the fighter closed in as the Wyvern sped up and ahead of its counterpart; the F-14D Super Tomcat next to it. Viper pushed up the throttle and moved forward as the wings of the jet arched backward.

"Angel 2, engaging."

"Angel 3, engaging."

Both fighters flew up before diving over a hill and strafing a nearby gun tower with Vulcan shells. The tower exploded in a flash of fire as the jets streaked by, targeting separate jets. Juan locked on to an enemy Berkut and charged, using his jet's agility to fly behind and lock on to the jet with his Sidewinders. Without a word, he fired, ejecting the missile from an internal rack and sending it streaking toward the target. The missile collided and sent the Berkut up in flames.

Jonathan, meanwhile, had acquired an enemy on his tail. He ducked into the city proper, weaving his fighter around two skyscrapers. Behind him, the enemy Flanker acquired a tone and fired a missile. Cursing, the Angel flew twisted the flight stick upward, facing the fire-laden sky as he quickly found an escape route and exploited it. He jerked his stick left and narrowly twisted between two lances of gunfire. The Flanker wasn't so lucky, hitting the streaks of fire and shredding off his wings. Grinning, he began to seek out another target.

Juan ducked behind some buildings and came around, locking on to another gun tower that was trying to strafe a jet with gunfire and missiles. He clicked the trigger once and sent a Maverick on its way, the missile impacting against the face of the tower. The pilot flew in a wide arc around the wrecked tower, aiming for some tanks that were advancing along a bridge. Juan locked onto the bridge itself and fired his last three Mavericks, the missiles streaking toward the bridge and exploding along a critical point on the bridge. The structure caved in under its own weight, sending the tanks with it.

Viper had found himself tailed by another Berkut. Ducking back into the city, he weaved between two skyscrapers and dived for the nearby river, flying over a small dock with a strangely-configured destroyer resting there. Twisting his fighter's stick, Viper turned around and armed his two Mk 83s carried on his Tomcat's pylons. Arming them, he crossed over the recently-destroyed bridge and pushed the pickle button. The bombs released and went into a lazy freefall before impacting the hull of the destroyer, creating two huge holes.

The Ghost flew up into the sky before turning and setting his Wyvern to acquire a target with his Sidewinders. The smart-computer in the jet targeted a fighter on the tail of another, which ducked and weaved around the gun towers. Sucking a breath, Juan dived, opening fire with Vulcan cannons as he attempted to intercept the fighter. He pulled hard up, his fighter's wings flaring out in their open configuration as he skirted the road under the jet. The tail had caught on to him and started to chase him, flying amongst gunfire.

Juan stared down the fighter and armed his Sidewinders when a pair of missiles obliterated it, sending shards of shrapnel in every direction. A jet streaked by – an F-14D. Juan picked up its wing and together the two flew in almost perfect unison as they bore down on another set of gun towers. They both opened fire at the same time, cutting one in half while causing a second and third to go up in hot flame. Both Tomcat and Wyvern pulled up and out, causing Crystal to get a good look at his ally.

His eyes widened.

"Angel 2!" he screamed. "_They're_ here! They made it to Sudentor!"

"Who?!" Jonathan shouted back, ducking under a stream of bullets.

_"The Razgriz!"_ Juan replied, excited. "I've just seen Nagase, so the others must be nearby!" He paused. "I'm going to open a channel."

"No! That will compromise the mission, Juan!" Jonathan cut him short as he blew away another fighter. "Just keep the fight in Osea and Yuktobania's favor, okay?"

"Roger," Juan replied, slightly disheartened. He looked up at the sky, his head on a swivel. He caught the gleam on an enemy Flanker as it bore down on him. Calming himself, he once again found the skyscrapers to be a reasonable retreat point. He weaved around a large tower to come up and even with the Flanker as it leveled out and broke off the pursuit.

"Bad move," Juan muttered, his radar calling tone. A click of the trigger shot off the Sidewinder, which promptly detonated inside the Flanker's left engine. There was a flash of light as the jet exploded, the ruins plummeting into the river below. "That's another kill…" he looked up. "Wyvern, approximate number of enemy units in the sky, now." A holographic screen came up, blinking a rapidly changing number before coming up with a final number: **36.**

"Damnit," Juan growled. "That's at least 3 squadrons," he opened a comm. "There's still a huge number of enemies left."

"I know that," Jonathan shot back. "But we - hey, what's that light?"

As Juan merged with Jonathan, they both looked up at the seemingly iridescent beam of light. The beam grew exponentially, becoming much bigger than a star. Juan's eyes widened as it neared.

"Break, now!"

Both Angels changed headings and broke off. A split second later, a massive explosion erupted, the sound erupting in all pilots' eardrums. A flash of bright white light blinded gun cameras and seared retinas; the only one not blinded was Juan as the light compensators in the Wyvern's cockpit dimmed the canopy to an almost black shade. He saw the shockwave as it ripped throughout the area, a literal distortion in the air as the blast ripped through the warzone. Fighters crumbled in the air or were knocked out of the sky, but many managed to regain control as years of experience had taught them.

_And the Razgriz still flew._

"What the hell was that?!" Jonathan shouted, his ears still ringing.

"The SOLG…" Juan muttered. "Osea's hidden precision superweapon… it had to be that."

"But why would it fire on its own men?!" Jonathan shouted, regaining his bearings.

"Because it's not in her country's hands anymore," Juan said. He looked up. "It's in Belka's hands…"

"This is insane," Viper grumbled as he began to strafe another gun tower. "Just ridiculously _insane_."

"We were told it would be dangerous," Juan whispered as he watched the Razgriz. Fighters seemed to ignore him, as if he wasn't there, as he watched the four raven jets fly. "But not like this…"

There was a pause as Juan watched the fight around him. Osean fighters bore down on Belkan gun towers, their missiles blowing the tower away as a hail of gunfire ripped apart an Eagle piece by piece. Yuke ground-pounders strafed tanks and bunkers, bringing the infantry to its knees as the 1st Airborne Assault Division continued their operation within the facility, attempting to open the tunnel doors. Above him, a black and red F-14D engaged a MiG 1.44 in a close-range dogfight.

"A careful orchestration," he said to himself. "A battle between Belka and the world once more; on this battlefield, Belka's Aces are taking on the greatest heroes of all time. Those heroes, with their Final Reckoning, will end this war upon wings of black sheath…" he looked up at the "star" that was the SOLG. "No… _in wings ablaze in light_." he looked down and closed his eyes. _"After a period of time, the Razgriz returns… this time, as a great hero," _he smiled.

And as a second explosion ripped through the battle zone, his Wyvern was unaffected, the shockwave seemingly passing through his jet. There was a pause as the explosion faded, and the Wyvern tucked in its switchblade wings. The fighter dived and charged a gun tower…

-

**空の天使: 天使の艦隊  
Episode: 01 - Yukikaze and the Super Sylph **

-

As the explosion faded, Rei and Rena moved again.

Grabbing Rena by the wrist, Rei almost dragged her behind another hangar as he fired behind them, taking down soldiers or scattering them from pursuit. He alternated fire between behind and in front of the pair until they reached a safe spot once more; this time behind an old truck. He went prone and peered around the vehicle and set the G36 to burst-fire. Aiming carefully, he took down two more soldiers before the clip ran empty.

"I'm out of ammo," he muttered, pulling out his K-BAR and the P90 he had been holding on to. "Rena, do you still have your rifle?" Looking down at the girl, once again hiding under her arms, he frowned. "Davenport, I'm talking to you."

"I… I lost it," Rena slowly admitted. "I dropped it after that first explosion… not like I was using it anyway," she took a breath. "We're one hangar away, you know that… just past this next one."

"I know…" Rei replied, standing up and peering around the truck. "It looks like they've forgotten about us in the meantime; if we're lucky, it will be a clean shot from here to the hangar," he looked at his ally. "Are you ready, Rena? Can you follow me?"

Slowly, the girl lifted her eyes and looked up at Rei, nodding slowly. Rei nodded back, ready to run… when the subtle click of a weapon seemed to stop time between the two.

"Hands up, both of you," an accented voice commanded. Rei raised both his hands into the air, while Rena managed to get to her feet and raise hers while leaning against the hangar wall. "You, drop your weapons," Rena stared at the uniformed Belkan soldier as he menacingly pointed his G36 at Rei. Slowly, Rei dropped the P90 and the K-BAR knife. Both fell to the ground with a distinct clattering sound.

"Now, turn around, slowly," ordered the Belkan. Rei slowly turned around, his eyes betraying no emotion; only the cold, hardened look of another soldier. Both stared at each other, the Belkan taking glances at the shivering form of Rena. The man grinned. "Who do you work for?"

"The organization I work for is…" Rei began. As he started to finish, however, Rei moved with a sudden burst of speed. He dropped to the ground and grabbed his knife and in one swift movement, hurled it at the soldier. The blade impaled into the man's neck, causing him to gasp and gurgle. The soldier grasped his throat in pain and collapsed to the ground. By the time he relaxed, he was dead.

Rei bent down and picked up his P90, glancing at it and frowning. "The safety is jammed," he muttered. He tossed the weapon to the side and picked up the G36 next to the body. "Damn things are so easy to break," he dropped the clip and checked the ammo before putting it back in place. "We'll have to go with this, then… ready Rena? …Hey, Davenport."

Looking over, Rei noted the girl's startled look and the blood stripe across her face; the Belkan blood of the soldier Rei had killed. Grabbing the girl by the wrist, Rei stood in front of the smaller girl and looked into her eyes.

"Rena," he said. "We have to get moving," Rena nodded, but seemed in a daze. Rei lifted a gloved hand and wiped off the blood from her face. "Come on, Davenport; don't lose it now," he whispered to the girl, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. Rena reached up and put a hand around Rei's arm, squeezing it and took a breath. She nodded quickly and looked into his eyes.

"Just a little further, right?" She asked him. Rei nodded his head: yes. "Then I can do it," she smiled in a sideways fashion before squeezing her other hand into a fist. Rei let go of her and took in a breath of his own.

"Then let's go," he said. "Ready?" Rena had already pushed herself off the wall and was behind the Angel leader. "Go, go now!"

At once, both pilots ran across open ground, down the back alley of the hangar. Rei saw three soldiers ahead of him and raised the rifle, firing on auto setting and taking out the soldiers before they could react. He ran ahead of Rena and dived, rolling and rolling up on one knee. He sprayed automatic fire at two soldiers guarding the hangar door, sending one running and pegging the other in the chest. Rena ran past him and up to the door, using the dead soldier's HK to shoot out and lights in the area, including the ones that illuminated the number "VKE-3".

Rei ran up to the girl and took her rifle while she pulled out a small hacking device; a keypad breaker. She attached it to the security device and let the machine do its work, using her own computer skills to assist in the computer hacking process. There was soon a snapping sound, and the door unlocked.

Rei wasted no time. He broke open the door with a strong kick, using his remaining ammo to shoot three soldiers standing around a tarp-covered jet. Rena ran in behind him and closed the door, locking it back and helping Rei shove a tool-laden shelf in front of it.

"Is that the jet?" she asked.

"It seems so," Rei replied, dropping the rifle and walking up to the jet. He grabbed the tarp and starting pulling on it. Rena walked up next to him and assisted, and together both of them pulled off the tarp with little effort.

What greeted them was a strange sight.

The jet was a deep blue in color, though a black stripe ran from the top of the nose to just behind the 2-seater cockpit, though these seats were housed in separate canopies, and the RIO seat was situated higher than the pilot's seat. Forward canards, navy blue with white tips, rested a little behind the second canopy, and under then ran a teal stripe (one on each side), that ran midway under the sides of the cockpits before running along the back of the fighter.

The wings were oddly-shaped as well; at first resembling standard wings with a delta influence, they suddenly angled downward near the ends. These wings were also navy blue, though a white stripe ran from the tip down the front of the wings before ending at where the wing met the fuselage. Something akin to a small tail was situated in between two outward-angled, white tipped tails, similar to a Hornet's but farther apart.

A radar pod was set as something like an actual tail from the jet. It was seated in between two large, angular engines. These engines were considerable in size, but they didn't look like they were able to vector thrust. Finally, under the wings, on pylons, a set of four missiles rested comfortably.

In short, it looked like a very capable jet, though Rei was wary to its actual ability. As Rena pulled up a nearby ladder, he touched the nose of the fighter with uncertainty, unable to make up his mind about it. Looking back at Rena, who simply shrugged, he climbed the ladder and pulled open the cockpit. As he entered the jet, he threw off the jacket and hat of the stolen uniform…

-

"They're going in!"

Jonathan and Juan watched as the four raven jets entered the now open tunnel. Exhausted and their fuel trickling away, the two Angels looked at each other.

"Now what, sir?" Juan asked the F-14 pilot. Jonathan simply shook his head.

"We won't know until Fukai contacts us," he admitted. "We'll simply have to wait until-"

_"Pilots, this is AWACS Hijacker!" _a shout came over the Angels' radios. _"We have you on radar, do you read me, over?"_

"AWACS, this is Viper, roger," Jonathan called.

"This is Crystal, roger," Juan confirmed.

_"It looks like Angels 1 and 4 are going to be late," _the AWACS operator told the pilots. _"The both of you need to start heading back; a Kilo Charlie-10 is waiting for you about 50 miles on Vector 261, over."_

"What happened to them?" Juan asked, his voice breaking.

_"Nothing yet," _Hijacker responded. _"It seems that they're behind schedule. Rendezvous with the tanker along vector 261, that's all I can tell you."_

"Roger," Viper said. "We'll meet the tanker along that vector; but are you sure about Fukai and Davenport?"

_"I am," _Hijacker replied. _"We'll get word from them soon enough."_

"Then our job is done for the day," Juan confirmed, looking at the battle around him. "I guess it's time to head home. Let's go, Wyvern; set throttle to full speed and drop the empty fuel tanks."

Both jets turned around the city of Sudentor, both pilots looking down at the houses and establishments. As both jets evened out, they first traveled along the river before turning due west, toward their tanker. Silently, both pilots wondered what happened to Rei and Rena to make them late.

-

Rena's hat fell to the ground. Her jacket followed a second later.

"This RIO seat is weird," she muttered. "If the canopy wasn't in the way, I could poke you."

"Very funny," Rei replied, flicking a switch. The canopies both started to close. Hanging on the joystick was a headset, which Rei picked up and put on. Behind him, Rena found a similar one next to the ejection handle. She put it on and tapped it a few times. Rei also tapped the microphone, but neither pilot heard the other. Rei looked around for some kind of switch, but only found ones that pertained to other things.

"I'll just turn the thing on, then," he said to himself. Rei flicked a few activation positions before pressing in the two "On" switches.

At first, nothing happened. After a few seconds, the three electronic screens in the dashboard of the jet flickered on, followed by one on either side of him. Behind him, Rena's forward and side screens activated as well. A slot on the side of both pilots' cockpits opened, revealing something akin to a keyboard inside it. The joystick moved slowly on its own for a second, and some of the electronic gauges in both pilots' cockpits went haywire.

In front of Rei, a holographic screen like a computer's activated, and a multitude of information scrolled across it before flickering off, then back on. A single phrase scrolled across the screen.

**IDENTIFY PILOT. **

Rei reached for the keyboard, placed it in his lap, and typed in his name: **Fukai Rei.** There was a pause as the computer processed the information.

**PILOT NOT REGISTERED IN DATABASE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REGISTERED IN THE DATABASE? **Rei typed the "Y" key and put away the keyboard. ** REGISTERING PILOT FUKAI REI. **There was a pause as the computer seemed stuck at this screen for a few moments before suddenly a new phrase came up. ** SPEAK YOUR NAME. **

Rei stopped, confused. He wondered briefly why a computer would ask him to pronounce his name, but he did so anyway. "Rei Fukai," he said loudly into the microphone.

The computer screen shut off again for a moment before coming back up… this time as a HUD. Behind him, he could hear the turning of the engines as they started up.

"It looks like we're live," Rena said into the mic. Rei heard it and looked back at her.

"You can hear me?" Rena asked. Rei gave a thumbs up before looking ahead. To his sides, the computer screens flashed multiple phrases and activation codes before stopping on a single line of code that both Angels saw.

**ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MAVE: ACTIVE. **

"…Mave?" Rei wondered. "What's that?" He was soon answered.

"_What am I?_" a female voice asked. "Can't you read? I'm Artificial Intelligence Mave, that's who! What kind of name is 'Rei Fukai'?" Rei looked around the cockpit wildly, looking for the source of the voice. To his and Rena's right, 2 computer screens popped up and revealed a small figure.

She looked like a schoolgirl from Comona, dressed in a gray and white uniform similar in style to the jet they were in. She had bright, teal hair and bright blue eyes. On her head was a beret, also in style of the jet, but emblazoned with the letters "MAVE". The girl smiled and waved.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, her voice much like a young girl's. "I'm Mave! I'm the computer intelligence of the ADFX-03, also known as Super Sylph!" she smiled. "Wow, you're cute, Mr. Fukai," she said.

"Um… okay?" Rei said uncertainly. The AI almost giggled to herself before "walking" to the other cockpit.

"And who are you?" Mave asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm… Rena," the Angel muttered. "Nice to meet you, Mave."

"Feh," Mave responded, walking over to Rei. "So, you're the pilot of my home?"

"I… I guess so," Rei replied, unsure of whether or not the war had finally driven him insane and he was simply talking to himself.

"Well, Mr. Pilot, do you know how to fly a Sylph?" Mave asked.

"Well… no," Rei admitted. "This is the first one I've been in, Mave."

"It's easy!" Mave told him, smiling at him and tilting her head. "If you know how to fly, say, any Sukhoi-model jet, it's very similar!" She looked around. "Hmm, not much room to fly around here… say, wait a minute!" she glared at Rei. "Just who are you? You're obviously not a test pilot, and you're definitely not Belkan!" she pointed a finger. "You're… you're _plane-napping_ me!"

"I'm not kidnapping you," Rei muttered. "I'm just taking you from people who mean to use you to kill innocent lives."

"And you're _not_, Fukai?" Mave shouted, tapping her foot impatiently. "I'm really sick of all you hotshot pilots trying to steal me just so you can 'save the world' or whatever. You know you're the_ third attempt?_"

Rena sweat-dropped in the back seat, imagining other pilots trying to steal this jet and shooting themselves because the A.I. was annoying.

"That's not the point," Rei said back to the A.I. "I'm just doing my mission; I'm the only one in the FA that can pilot you."

"Just doing your mission?" Mave asked. "FA? What's that?"

"The 4th Erusian Mixed Air Unit, Freelance Alliance," Rei told her. "I am 1st Lieutenant Rei Fukai, member of the FA."

"Freelance Alliance?" Mave muttered. She paused and put a finger to her head, as if she were thinking. "Oh, so you're part of those Erusian nut jobs that fight wars all the time, aren't you?"

"Well… technically, yes, but Erusia is at peace right now, but we need you to stop another war from happening."

"Another war?" Mave echoed. "What war?"

"There's a man," Rena told her. "He calls himself Nodsri. He is a psychotic mastermind that seeks to destroy the world in the name of his 'father', which, according to his brother, is complete and total bullshit."

Mave stared at both pilots. "And you think you can stop him?" She asked the two. Both nodded.

"We wanted you because for one, Nodsri is incredibly powerful," Rei explained, thinking back. "I've seen him do incredible things; slice jets in two, repair his while it still flew, and kill people with no remorse; he's dangerous to everyone and everything," he looked back at Rena. "And for another, we need your help."

There was a pause by Mave. Outside, the sounds of war echoed through the hangar; explosions, gunfire, the screaming of dying men. Rei closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Mave was looking at him.

"I don't know why," she said. "But I believe you and her." She looked "ahead" at the doors of the hangar. "I think I'll allow you to take me on this little trip, Rei. But mind you," she wagged a finger at him. "I can control my body, so if you try to pull something, I'll take control and smash myself into the ground with you in me!" she paused, giggled, and shook her head. "Right, then; let's do this."

Rei and Rena nodded.

"I can't open the doors though," Mave told them.

"So I'll open them with something else," Rei replied. He armed two of the missiles on the Sylph and locked onto the door. He pressed the trigger and shot the missiles forward. The ensuing blasts took out the door and a few men standing by it. Grinning to himself, Rei pushed the throttle forward, slowly moving the jet forward. The fighter's nose peered out of the broken doorway for a second as both Rei and Mave looked around for anyone pointing their guns at the jet; so far, nothing.

"I'll control the Vulcan," Mave told Rei. "Just focus on the driving,"

"Roger that," Rei responded. Rena activated her radar screen to watch the battle. Immediately, four medium-sized blips appeared, coming at them fast.

"Rei, something on scope!" she shouted. "Four fighters, coming from… that tunnel!" She pointed at the tunnel in the distance. "…who the hell is crazy enough to fly into that tunnel?"

Her question was quickly answered as another explosion rocked the area, and four jets blasted out of it, one after the other. The first jet had some of its nose paint blasted off, except for one thing: the number** 016**, caught in the flash of light from the explosion.

"Rei, that's them!" Rena shouted. "The _Razgriz! _I know it is!" she smiled. "Do you think they know that we're here?"

"Probably not," Rei replied as he continued to drive forward, the Vulcan gun on the nose sporadically firing at Belkan troops in the way. "They have they their own mission, too, you know."

"…yeah, I know," Rena muttered. "So let's get this going, then! We need to get out of here, fast!"

"I know!" Rei shouted. "Mave, is there a quicker way to launch?"

"Well… kind of," Mave said uncertainly. She quickly killed another soldier as the Sylph rounded the corner to face the runway – as well as the burning wreckage of 2 Ospreys. "But you'll have to follow my instructions explicitly."

"Fine," Rei said. "Just tell me."

"Move the throttle to just under the A/B line," Mave ordered. "Then close the flaps and pull straight up on the stick." Rei closed the flaps and pushed the throttle up. He pulled back on the stick as the fighter quickly gained speed. There was a buckling sound as the fighter quickly nosed up, the engines pushing out enough thrust to lift the jet into the air… but not much more. The fighter hovered on its own thrust, mere feet from the ground.

"Now, full throttle!" Mave shouted. Rei closed the wheels and pushed the throttle as high as it would go. He and Rena were jerked hard into their seats as the jet went from hovering to over Mach 1.5 in less than 5 seconds. They left the hangar facility behind in the blink of an eye… and entered the realm of the sky once again.

Rena looked down at the clouds as Rei leveled out the fighter and started heading for the rendezvous point agreed on in the briefing; along Vector 261. Both pilots breathed a sigh of relief as Rei easily maneuvered the Sylph into a straight line. Mave commented on activating EMCON before disappearing from sight; though secretly, she used her cameras and gun scope to keep an eye on everything.

Rei leaned back and rested only the palm of his hand on the flight stick, the other on his leg. He looked up and the nighttime stars and the four black shapes that seemed to disappear along with the fading battleground.

"It looks like there were 2 successes today, Rena," he said.

"You think so?" Rena asked, her own mind lost in distant thought.

"Yeah…" Rei answered. "The Razgriz won their war… and we now have the means to win ours," he leaned his head back and lowered the throttle to cruising speed. "The tanker should be coming up soon…"

"I just got it on long-range radar," Rena cut in. "Looks like we're on our way home."

"Home…" Rei muttered. He looked ahead at the KC-10 in the distance, 2 jets escorting it with blinking red and blue lights. "Yeah… heheheheh."

"What is it, Rei?" Rena asked.

"Jack is going to be _so _jealous when he finds out about this thing," Rei laughed. He grinned and looked back at Rena. "It's almost worth fighting through a warzone to piss him off." Rena smiled at Rei, and Mave in turn simply wondered _who the hell is Jack?_

But as Rei flashed friendly IFF signals at the FA jets, he and Rena simply wished to sleep in their beds at Bronze Gate One…

…to dream for a quick end to the war.

-

Meanwhile, ditched in a valley, a Su-47 rested. Using his fighter as the insertion vehicle, Rei was forced to ditch it in favor of the Sylph.

A hand rested on the nose of the fighter, which was unceremoniously stuck in the ground along with the rest of the jet; the wheels had ripped out some distance backward. The hand went along the jet before stopping under the name of her owner.

**1ST LT REI FUKAI.**

There was a pause as the hand pulled away.

A scream cut through the night.

And a double-bladed sword impaled itself in the aluminum hull of the fighter, cutting through the name.

Anguished golden eyes stared into the sky.

_To Be Continued…_

_-_

(Music start)

(Various still shots appear. The first one is of the sea, the Sealance in the distance. The second one is of the deck of the ship; Rena stands on it alone. The third one is of Bronze Gate One from a distance. The fourth one focuses on the front of a catapult, where Rei stands alone.)

_"Kokoro ni, chiisana, hana ga, saiteru…"_

(More shots: a profile of Rena, smiling yet sad, as she looks out into the ocean; Rei, solemn and determined; Jack, standing in front of his desk, touching a pen capped with Belka's flag.)

_"Kimi kara, moratta, karenai hana ga…"_

(Michael petting his dog as he kneels, an F-15 flying behind him; Sasha wiping her nose, the snow rippling about her; Joseph watching the sky from a cliff face.)

_"Shinjiru koto mo kowagaranai kurai,"_

(Rei and Jack staring each other down, eyes glaring as a spark flies between them.)

_"Tsuyoku nareta kara,"_

(Rena giggling as Jack is smacked with Glen's cane; Rei and Erick talking, looking out a window.)

_"Kimi ni aete, ureshikatta,"_

(Rena smiling at the camera as she steps out of a swimming pool; Rei trying to push the camera away.)

_"Tsunaida te ga, hokoridatta,"_

(Rei and Rena standing together; Mave holo-standing next to her Sylph, smiling.)

_"Ima wa betsubetsu, no sora magete itemo,"_

(The Temnota pilots in a group shot, with Timerlane propping Rei up on his shoulders; an Air Ixiom shot with Mike and Cid at the lead.)

_"Hora arukeru, hitori demo…"_

(Sealancer group shot, Glen in the back and Jack in the front with a thumbs up; Mobius/Thanatos group shot, Sasha sitting on the ground and looking confused.)

(Closing shot; Rei and Rena, looking at each other, lips curled into smiles…)

(Music fades out…)

---

Next Episode:

"In the next episode of Angel Squadron, Erick finds out that Mark is trying to move equipment across the ocean, and sends the Angels after it. With the Black Adlers as their allies in this mission, nothing can go wrong… or so it seems. Tense action and a high-strung Osean make this mission a lot more interesting that what it should be!"

_"Next on Sky's Angels: Angel Squadron – The Eagles and their Angels!"_


End file.
